Nigeria: Politicians Will Put National Interests First – Saraki



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Photo: https://allafrica.com

Senate Speaker Bukola Saraki in an interview with Washington, DC

By Tami Hultman

Washington, DC – The Speaker of the Senate Bukola Saraki, who talks with AllAfrica challenges and opportunities that Nigeria faces, has expressed faith in the Nigerian justice system. In an interview on July 11, before a summons today from the Inspector General of Police, Saraki attributed charges against him to the political rivalry. But he said that, ultimately, he expects politicians to put the country's pressing problems ahead of their own ambitions.

These hypotheses are now tested. The summons to answer that he had been the instigator of a day of murderous bank robberies and murders of police and civilians on April 5 was accompanied by threats of force against him. he did not show up to the police.

dramatic developments. The new convocation comes as the defections of the ruling party have changed the balance of power in the National Assembly

The Senate adjourned eight weeks after Saraki, president, read a letter from 15 senators APC in power announcing that they had left the party, giving the opposition PDP control of the chamber. Later today, 37 members of the House of Representatives announced their withdrawal from the party in power.

A video inside the House showed scenes of celebration among the members. Nigerian media has presented talks by lawyers and badysts on how dramatic developments will affect the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the national elections next year.

In the only interview given by President Saraki in Washington earlier this month he considered the role that he would play amid the discontent of the ruling APC. In and out of the Senate, Saraki vigorously defended the reforms promised by President Buhari, including the fight against corruption.

Saraki was not among those withdrawing from the APC today, but if he remains in the party in government, he could lose his status as president of the Senate, a position powerful who is in third line to the presidency. He told AllAfrica that it was satisfying to be able to promote legislation that helps Nigerians, despite constant attacks from opponents and lawsuits against him

Promoting Peace and Prosperity in a country that aspires at the same time. Africa's most populous country, with the continent's largest economy. Despite its oil wealth, it has more poor people than any other country in the world, suffers from the highest rates of malaria and is one of the most dangerous places to give birth. The conflicts have created a humanitarian crisis.

Saraki described the allegations against him as distracting from the important activity of promoting the interests of Nigerians. In the interview, he highlighted the pbadage this year, "finally", funds aimed at universal health coverage for the explosion of the country's young population. The law is, he says, "an important milestone that will certainly begin to lead to a healthier population," and an legacy that he, as a physician, wanted to leave.

"Whether we talk about vaccination, maternal mortality or infant mortality, the main way to fix it is to provide adequate funding for primary health care," he said. "Providing funds now for universal health care will ensure that many more people will be vaccinated, compared to one in four currently, and we hope that all children will be vaccinated." We believe that by doing so, we will significantly reduce infant mortality and that we will have more skilled professionals to badist deliveries and more prenatal and prenatal care. "

Some speculate that APC withdrawals could be in part

Access to Care of health and the fight against corruption were the main topics of the campaign in 2015 when Nigerians defied the predictions by voting against incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and electing Buhari. . But popular criticism has spread because the government has failed to eliminate corruption, provide health care or bring peace – Boko Haram attacks in the north, land conflicts between farmers and ranchers in central areas, and the oil-producing Delta region in the south, where local militias sabotage distribution pipelines, say they pollute their waters by bypbading their communities, leaving them without fuel.

Veteran Veteran and Former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar declared his candidacy as the PDP candidate, launching his campaign two days ago. But earlier this month, a coalition of opposition parties announced that they would agree on a single candidate to challenge President Buhari, should he report to again despite the unannounced disease that led to the UK. has been important in traveling across the country, representing the president. But many political experts say that Osinbajo has no way to accede to the presidency during this election. He comes from the south and, in an informal convention, the presidency evolved every eight years between the northern states and the southern states.

The unwritten power-sharing agreement was a means of ensuring regional representation, as well as giving the Muslim and Christian communities a chance at the highest position. The north has a predominance of Muslim voters, while the majority in the south identifies as Christian.

Insurgent presidential candidate Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, says these insider arrangements have been a means of sharing the spoils. Saraki says the coming weeks are important moments for him to "make decisions that would decide" where he will put his efforts into the future. "I consult many people, my constituents, some of my colleagues, my family," he said. "Once I make up my mind, I will announce to the public where I stand, I will not change what I believe in. I will not change my fight to make the country a better country, a safer country. and prosperous. "

Now he must draw his attention to new allegations of serious crimes.

claims: no one in the third line in the presidency responsible for multiple murders, attacks on the police and six bank robberies in the two-hour crime.

In May, police first summoned Saraki to respond to allegations that he was behind bank robberies and murders in the state of Kwara. After expressing his intention to comply with the summons and challenging the charges, which he described as politically motivated, the police withdrew the summons.

These are not the only criminal charges that Saraki has faced since he became Senate Speaker. In 2015, the Nigerian government charged him with 18 counts of "misrepresentation of property" – alleging that he had not declared all his belongings before d & # 39; enter into office, as required by law.

Although Saraki's Court in favor, the government appealed the Tribunal's decision, leaving it again in legal danger. Earlier this month, Nigeria's Supreme Court dismissed all false accusations, saying that the government's lawyers had engaged in a "somersault".

President Buhari praised the High Court ruling, saying that Saraki gave the example to Nigerians. "I saw him take the tortuous lane of using the judicial process," Buhari said in a statement, rather than trying to destroy the judicial institution. "That's what I did in the three elections where I was cheated, before God allowed me to come here the fourth time I showed up at the office."

In his interview with AllAfrica, Saraki characterized the "I think what you saw – I know what you saw – in the case of armed robbery is just a state of desperation on the part of some people trying to make something that has nothing to do with me and they know that it has nothing to do with me, "Saraki said. "And you will see over time, the events will unfold to show just how desperate some of these people are, to try to make a case."

"Our democracy is at stake here" – Tweets express worries

Killing attacks began in Kwara in early April when more than a dozen thieves attacked police headquarters and attacked during two hours five banks in the city of Offa, killing several policemen and more than 30 civilians, including a pregnant mother and her young son. allegedly fled on stolen motorcycles and other vehicles. In a statement at the time, Saraki, a former governor of Kwara, said that he had spoken with Governor Ahmed "to express my condolences on the lives that were lost in the attack, and we both agreed that no stone would be left In a curious turn of events, the following month, Saraki and Ahmed were themselves summoned by the police to respond to allegations that they were the ones who had instigated to commit the robberies and provided support to the perpetrators of this heinous act. "

and murders.Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said the gang leaders claimed that" the president of the Senate provided weapons and money to thugs; everyone in Kwara Central fears them because of their weapons and their ability to kill someone without hesitation.

Police held an open-air press conference showing captured weapons and criminals sitting at a table The video of the press conference shows that the police repeatedly incite the seated men to say how Saraki told them ordered to conduct the raids and to say that he provided funds and vehicles.One of the vehicles shown featured a license tag that read: SARAKI

The Public Relations Officer Jimoh Moshood police renewed in June its allegations that the criminal gang "would have a direct link" with Saraki, the wedding ceremony of the senator's daughter in October in the capital Kwara of Ilorin. in Kwara noted the weakness of the evidence: the Saraki family had printed thousands of pieces of cloth to distribute to the citizens of the state who rallied to offer congratulations.

Saraki said that his damn accusers that she could do to the country as a whole. They think it's just me as an individual, but the damage to the country is more than that. We hope that as a country, some of us will continue to fight for what we believe to be right, to uphold democratic values ​​and what we believe in. "

He applauded, like President Buhari, the Nigerian judicial system, and Saraki acknowledged that it was not easy, but, he said, justification by the Supreme Court" encourages us still in the judicial system, that at least we have the judicial power that is there [also] for the ordinary man and woman. "

" It's a relief "Saraki said in the interview, "after one thousand and eighteen days of what was totally useless, was a distraction. What we should be doing is joining the arms of the government for cooperation and working to fulfill all our promises to Nigerians. "

The help was short-lived, with today's summons on much more serious charges of murder and murder." of partisans and others like the one who says: #IStandwithSaraki, not becos I like it or I am [political] but because our democracy is at stake here … [19659024 A full interview will be available on AllAfrica, crediting members of the National Assembly and civil society leaders to support the health bill; discuss renewable energy for areas rural, the need to educate and provide jobs to 70% of Nigerians under 35, the leadership needed at all levels to build peace across the country, creating a supportive environment to investment, economic partnerships rather than aid, and the re unions of delegation with members of Congress

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